'TEAM Course: Create collaborative online Units' ​Module Outlines

Module

Content

Participants are welcomed to the course and 'meet' the presenter/facilitator. The course requirements are explained. Participants introduce themselves via an introductory post.

2. Some important considerations ​(30 min)

Participants explore, reflect and share their thoughts on various types of online units. The link between online units and student-centred-ness is explored, upon which participants reflect and share. The TEAM Leader provides encouragement and support to TEAM members and to ensure no member falls behind. This support from the leader is to continue throughout the remainder of the course.​

3. ​Socially online with Open Learning​ (30 min)

Social learning - What is it? How do we engineer it? What features do we ideally require in an online system/platform in order to create collaborative, social learning units? Participants are guided through these questions, reflect and share their thoughts.

4. ​Types of videos​ (30 min)

There are 4 main types of videos which teachers can utilise in an online unit. These are explored along with different options for creating videos. Participants absorb and reflect upon this information and share their thoughts. TEAMS discuss the ideas from Modules 2, 3 and 4 relevant to their online unit. ​

5. Recording and editing videos​ (3 hours)

​​This module features numerous tutorials - in addition to links to company-generated tutorials - for creating screen casting videos for PC, Mac, iPads and tablets. Also tips for producing camera/phone videos. The 'case for editing videos' is also made, especially relevant for those creating videos on tablets. Participants work through the tutorials relevant to their needs, gain skills and then start creating videos for their collaborative online unit.

6. ​Video files, compression, streaming​ (1 hour)

When creating videos for online units participants need to understand video file types, the advantages of compressing videos and the ideal video sharing options via Google Drive, YouTube and Dropbox. It's all easy once you know how. Participants absorb and apply this information to share a video they created with course colleagues. Participants​ also write a peer review of another participant's video.

7. Facilitation implications which affect design​ (1.5 hours)

The way in which the online system (in which your online unit is built) requires you to facilitate your students' progress dictates, in part, the design of your unit. This is not obvious to the uninitiated, hence the inclusion of this session now. This includes some tips on how to avoid the facilitator 'email tsunami'. In addition, some exemplary example online units from past participants are shared. Finally, participants share a post re the online platform they are choosing to use.A discussion in TEAMS of modules 5, 6 and 7 occurs along with collaboration and feedback to TEAM members on initial unit plans. ​

8. ​Planning and creating online units: Tutorials​ (3 hours)

​Detailed tutorials for creating an online unit of work are featured. The tutorials are based on the Open Learning system but are applicable to other systems. Points covered include getting started, clever ideas for online units, avoiding ambiguity, creating modules, pages, and activities, arranging course content, the decision re page, pdf or Google Doc, making content easy to find, dealing with images, and more.

9. Course facilitation tutorials (1 hour)

Often the uninitiated do not think about how they will facilitate their online units until the time comes! This module guides participants through the following: the importance of setting up a test student in a test course to see how activities and facilitation appears to students, the implications of certain activities on facilitation, the setting up of comment threads and the administration of students. The Open Learning is used to showcase these strategies, however, the tutorials are also of benefit to those not using Open Learning.

​This module includes tips on implementing your online unit, suggestions for surveying your students and some extra related information. Participants submit their implementation report. The TEAM Leader guides TEAM members through collaboration on their implementations and implementation experiences.

12. Course Completion​ (30 min)

The course completion process including accreditation information, a short survey, staying in touch and options for continued access.